Information Tools & Services

Timely and accurate information is integral to humanitarian action in both natural disasters and complex emergencies and is especially critical for effective early warning and prevention. OCHA’s information management activities support humanitarian decision making and response by providing effective systems for the collection, analysis, dissemination and exchange of key information and data.

These functions are jointly performed by the Early Warning and Contingency Planning Unit, the ReliefWeb project, the Field Information Support Project and IRIN, the Integrated Regional Information Networks.

Global Symposium + 5, "Information for Humanitarian Action", 22 - 26 October 2007

The Global Symposium +5 'Information for Humanitarian Action' was held on 22-26 October, hosted by OCHA Geneva, and has received very positive feedback from its participants.  With more than 300 participants from Governments, UN agencies, Red Cross/Red Crescent movement, NGOs, scientific and research institutes, academia, media and private sector it was the largest and most diverse ever gathering of humanitarian information professionals.

Global Symposium +5 proved to be a significant milestone in the strengthening of the community of practice on humanitarian information, building upon a process that began five years earlier in 2002, at the Symposium on Best Practices in Humanitarian Information Exchange, held in Geneva, where the Statement on Best Practices for Humanitarian Information Management and Exchange was endorsed. The principles flowing from the statement were further developed in a series of regional Humanitarian Information Network workshops in Bangkok, December 2003, Panama City, August 2005, and Nairobi, May 2006.

The Global Symposium resulted in a Statement endorsed by participants which represent a common vision of the central role of information analysis and exchange in support of effective humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery.  The Humanitarian Information Network is developing a strategy that aims to promote the Statement,  and ensure follow up and reporting of key recommendations.

The Symposium Statement and Outcomes, presentations, webcasts, photos and all related documentation are available on the Symposium website: http://www.reliefweb.int/symposium  

Read more:  Global Symposium+5 website - Outcomes of the Global Symposium+5 - Final Report